March 9, 2010
Heinrich Böll Stiftung

Abstract:

If economics is the original dismal science, then climate change could be its understudy. Hardly a day goes by without a new scientific report revealing more worrying news about the rapid progress of climate change. Reports on climate change typically make for grim bedtime reading – full of worrying statistics and doomsday scenarios. Sometimes it feels like the only question left is whether the rising sea levels, tornadoes or forest fires will get you first. As the meteorological picture comes into focus, campaigners have begun to argue that climate change holds potentially serious implications for international security. The basic argument is that climate change – by redrawing the maps of water availability, food security, disease prevalence and coastal boundaries – will reduce the available food and water, increase migration, raise tensions and trigger new conflicts....

March 9, 2010
The AfPak Channel // Foreign Policy

Abstract:

Confused about the recent slew of arrests and/or deaths of al-Qaeda and Taliban commanders in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Here's a roundup of who, what, where, and when.

March 9, 2010
United States Government Accountability Office

Abstract:

The U.S. government’s reliance on contractors, including the State Department’s and Department of Defense’s (DOD) use of private security contractors in Iraq, has been well documented. We and others have examined many of the challenges the government faces using contractors in Iraq, including issues related to the scope of private security contractors’ activities, the challenges in providing sufficient oversight, the appropriate accountability processes, and difficulties in conducting background screenings of foreign national contractor employees. (A list of related GAO products can be found at the end of this report.) What has not been so well examined is the comparative cost of using civilian employees or military members versus the cost of using contractors, particularly private security contractors, during contingency operations such as Operation Iraqi Freedom. Generally, when costs have been discussed, the focus has been on the daily rate paid to contractor employees, rather than on the total costs of using State Department or DOD personnel. However, in October 2005, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a study that compared the cost of using military personnel, federal civilians, or contractors to provide logistic support for overseas operations....

March 9, 2010
International Relations and Security Network

Abstract:

New data from centrist Democratic pollsters shows President Barack Obama and the party losing ground on national security with key voters, and they urge him to toughen up his rhetoric on terrorism, but it’s a prescription that ignores an important point the president has been trying to make. The poll, conducted by veteran Democratic political consultants Stan Greenberg and Jeremy Rosner, found that President Obama had strong personal approval ratings among voters in most areas of national security - higher indeed than his approval rating overall, which was 47 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving. Conducted in late February, the poll surveyed 851 adults who voted in 2008 and said they were likely to do so again in 2010. More than half of the likely voters approved of the president’s handling of Afghanistan (58 percent to 37 percent disapproving); national security (57 percent to 40); “leading America’s military” (57 percent to 38); fighting terrorism (54 percent to 41); and Iraq (54 percent to 40). These numbers, though still strong, are down from the 60 percent plus territory they were in when the pollsters ran their survey in May last year. Nonetheless, the president’s approval ratings are currently in negative territory on only two national security issues: Iran (42 percent approving to 49 percent disapproving) and the “prosecution and interrogation of terrorism suspects.”...

March 8, 2010
Al Jazeera

Abstract:

In the run-up to today's historically significant parliamentary polls in Iraq, a volume of commentary has been offered on the complex internal dynamics in play and their critical import for the future direction of the country. But a question that begs asking is where do Iraq's neighbours stand on these critical elections. Given the volatile reality of the Middle East and its tortuous geopolitics, states in the region have an intimate interest and much at stake in how their neighbours are run. With much at risk for the stability of Iraq and its concomitant effects on bordering states, today's elections will be watched with great anxiety in capitals across the Middle East. Tehran, in particular, will be following electoral developments over its western border in Iraq. Iranian foreign policy vis-à-vis Iraq is not necessarily ideological in its underpinnings. It is misleading to analyse Iran-Iraq relations through the prism of a Shia alliance....

March 9, 2010
The AfPak Channel // Foreign Policy

Abstract:

Confused about the recent slew of arrests and/or deaths of al-Qaeda and Taliban commanders in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Here's a roundup of who, what, where, and when.

March 9, 2010
United States Government Accountability Office

Abstract:

The U.S. government’s reliance on contractors, including the State Department’s and Department of Defense’s (DOD) use of private security contractors in Iraq, has been well documented. We and others have examined many of the challenges the government faces using contractors in Iraq, including issues related to the scope of private security contractors’ activities, the challenges in providing sufficient oversight, the appropriate accountability processes, and difficulties in conducting background screenings of foreign national contractor employees. (A list of related GAO products can be found at the end of this report.) What has not been so well examined is the comparative cost of using civilian employees or military members versus the cost of using contractors, particularly private security contractors, during contingency operations such as Operation Iraqi Freedom. Generally, when costs have been discussed, the focus has been on the daily rate paid to contractor employees, rather than on the total costs of using State Department or DOD personnel. However, in October 2005, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a study that compared the cost of using military personnel, federal civilians, or contractors to provide logistic support for overseas operations....

March 8, 2010
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Abstract:

[...] Facing comparatively few restrictions, U.S. legal residents and citizens can travel abroad, connect with terrorist groups to gain explosives or weapons training, and return here to plan and execute attacks. Particularly troubling are homegrown extremists who possess facility with both American and foreign cultures, including language skills. Such multi-cultural familiarity could allow them to operate freely both at home and overseas and to elude—far more easily than foreign nationals—U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials. Combating these tendencies requires action at the local, state, and federal levels. Local governments, supported by federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, must continue to build strong partnerships with Muslim communities. This type of cooperation is important because the friends and family of suspected extremists often are the best resources for law enforcement officials. The federal government also must continue to support official partnerships among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Such efforts—embodied in Joint Terrorism Task Forces and fusion centers—are crucial to apprehending domestic extremists because they combine local expertise (knowledge of neighborhoods and communities) with federal expertise (national intelligence and counterterrorism tools) to form a comprehensive approach to the threat. Policymakers and officials at the national level also must address two key issues that play heavily in the five cases discussed here. First, they must consider new ways to interdict the growing trend of “Internet radicalization.” Many of last fall’s suspects connected with transnational terrorist recruiters via the Internet; stopping this sort of activity is crucial to stemming domestic extremism in the United States. Second, several of those arrested last fall seemed to harbor the belief that the United States is at war with Islam. This is a “narrative” that al Qaeda and other global terrorist groups actively promulgate; it holds that U.S. counterterrorism efforts signify a “clash of civilizations” between the West and Islam. The United States must continue to work to puncture this narrative. White House officials already have discarded phrases like “war on radical Islam.” But ultimately, the United States needs to go further than this, because al Qaeda seizes on more than just U.S. rhetoric to galvanize support for its agenda; the group also points to America’s military presence in Muslim countries as evidence for its preferred narrative. The United States, then, should consider how to balance the need to combat global terrorism with the drawbacks of large-scale, direct military intervention. Doing so will require the United States to forge stronger partnerships with states plagued by extremist violence....

March 5, 2010
The Jamestown Foundation // Terrorism Monitor

Abstract:

Yemen has become one of the most important strongholds and safe havens for al-Qaeda. The impact of Yemen’s Salafi-Jihadist movement is no longer limited to that nation and its national security alone. The threat posed by Yemen’s militant Salafists has spread to neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia and more distantly to the United States, as indicated by the failed Christmas Day suicide bombing of a Northwest Airways passenger plane by Nigerian Umar al-Faruq Abd al-Mutalib, who received his training in Yemen. Given the pivotal role that Yemen’s militant Islamists are playing as a host for al-Qaeda and a magnet for jihadis from abroad, this article seeks to analyze the structure of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and identify the social and ideological structures that led to its success...

March 4, 2010
Security Studies

Abstract:

Strikingly, little systematic study of the relationship between democracy and terrorism has been undertaken. This article addresses this lacuna by laying some groundwork for further analytical study of the issues. It does so, first, by suggesting a family of independent variables related to the concept of political access that might be employed in this research; and second, by introducing a more expansive set of dependent variables, which will help capture the diverse effects of political access on militant group activity. The bulk of the paper examines the variety of causal logics that could potentially connect democracy and terrorist group activity, drawing from five analytical approaches to understanding terrorist motivation evident in the literature. Two major conclusions follow from the analysis. First, the democracy and terrorism debate constitutes not one research question, but many. Second, the prediction that follows from many approaches to terrorist motivation is not that democracy should promote an easy, inevitable lessening of terrorism. Rather, a more refined understanding of when democracy, or other forms of political access, may reduce violence or yield other desirable (and undesirable) outcomes is essential....

March 5, 2010
Fafo

Abstract:

Islamic private schools are part of the national fabric of Palestinian society and represent a grass-roots movement that is not about assuming power over the state or recruiting 'Islamic militants.' Instead, their function is to assert the role of Islam in contributing to Palestinian national development, a function that may or may not be politicised but is neither dramatic nor sinister. In fact, they may be seen as important contributions to building a viable civil society in Palestine. However, the struggle between Fatah and Hamas for political power, as along with international counterterrorism measures, has seriously affected a number of Islamic charities and the schools they run. The result is economic problems and a weakening of these institutions in Palestinian society. Based on empirical study of local Islamic private schools in the West Bank and Gaza, this report analyses their activities and relation to Islamism. This fills a gap in literature about Islamic movements, where education is often mentioned, but seldom taken seriously or studied in detail....

March 2, 2010
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Abstract:

Attacks on education occur in many countries that face armed confl ict and insecurity. Carried out for political, military, ideological, sectarian, ethnic, religious and criminal reasons by state and non-state actors alike, these incidents involve the intentional use of force in ways that disrupt and deter educational provision. Such attacks are directed against learners, educators, education aid workers, education trade unionists and educational institutions at all levels. They include targeted killings, disappearances, kidnapping, forced exile, imprisonment, torture, maiming, rape by soldiers and security forces, recruitment of child soldiers, harassment and intimidation, and occupation and destruction of educational facilities. Education is a fundamental right – both an end in itself and an enabling right; access to quality education enables people to secure and enjoy other rights. When provided in safe learning environments, education can also play a vital role in the physical, cognitive and psychosocial protection of individuals affected by confl ict and insecurity – particularly children and young people – and in the long-term recovery of communities. Yet targeted attacks on learners, educators and infrastructure undermine the likelihood of delivering the life-saving and life-sustaining supports that education can afford. Failure to provide adequate protection of education exacerbates other existing threats to wellbeing. Given that countries affected by confl ict are home to a signifi cant proportion of those who are not able to receive an education, the impact of such attacks must be addressed if sustainable progress is to be made towards the achievement of education for all (EFA)....

February 26, 2010
Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers

Abstract:

In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where child soldier recruitment and use is an entrenched feature of ongoing armed conflict, Mai Mai are among the most prolific recruiters and users of children. The Mai Mai – a collective term referring to a range of local militias – may not be as militarily or politically significant as other armed groups in the region, but they have been active throughout the Congo‟s two wars and since. Their patterns of child soldier recruitment and use have not significantly been impacted by successive peace agreements, attempts to disarm or neutralize them through integration into the armed forces. International initiatives aimed at halting child recruitment and use have also failed to alter what is a firmly established practice among these groups....

February 22, 2010
Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers // Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict

Abstract:

The issue of child soldiers and other conflict related abuses against children should be considered within the context of the long armed conflict that has affected the country and the current postconflict environment in which serious human rights violations continue to be reported. Despite the end of the war, the current environment in Sri Lanka is not conducive to the promotion and protection of the rights of children, including those affected by armed conflict who now face many challenges in returning and reintegrating into their families and communities. In particular, tightening restrictions on freedom of expression, manifested in threats, harassment, physical attacks and arrests of members of the media, human rights actors and others, has contributed to an environment in which independent monitoring of human rights is obstructed. Key institutions for the protection of human rights, namely the Human Rights Commission and the Police Commission, have had their independence compromised by the irregular appointment of their Commissioners....

February 12, 2010
United Nations Security Council

Abstract:

During the reporting period, the Darfur mediation continued its intensive interaction with the parties to the conflict and with regional and international stakeholders. Progress towards direct negotiations and agreements to improve the security situation has been frustrated by the continued fragmentation of the armed movements, ongoing military activities in Darfur and the lack of confidence between the parties. With regard to the fragmentation of the movements, the efforts of the Governments of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the United States of America to encourage greater cohesion among the armed movements continue to be a supportive element of the mediation’s work. The mediation has sought to accelerate progress towards a peace agreement by means of a three-track approach: (a) working with the belligerent parties to bring them to direct negotiations on a peace agreement for Darfur; (b) expanding the consultations with Darfurian civil society to create a substantive foundation for the negotiations and to bolster the willingness of the parties to engage in the political process; and (c) facilitating an improvement in relations between Chad and the Sudan....

March 9, 2010
Heinrich Böll Stiftung

Abstract:

If economics is the original dismal science, then climate change could be its understudy. Hardly a day goes by without a new scientific report revealing more worrying news about the rapid progress of climate change. Reports on climate change typically make for grim bedtime reading – full of worrying statistics and doomsday scenarios. Sometimes it feels like the only question left is whether the rising sea levels, tornadoes or forest fires will get you first. As the meteorological picture comes into focus, campaigners have begun to argue that climate change holds potentially serious implications for international security. The basic argument is that climate change – by redrawing the maps of water availability, food security, disease prevalence and coastal boundaries – will reduce the available food and water, increase migration, raise tensions and trigger new conflicts....

February 26, 2010
United States Government Office of the Director National Intelligence

Abstract:

We face nation states, terrorist networks, organized criminal groups, individuals, and other cyber actors with varying combinations of access, technical sophistication and intent. Many have the capabilities to target elements of the US information infrastructure for intelligence collection, intellectual property theft, or disruption. Terrorist groups and their sympathizers have expressed interest in using cyber means to target the United States and its citizens. Criminal elements continue to show growing sophistication in their technical capability and targeting. Today, cyber criminals operate a pervasive, mature on-line service economy in illicit cyber capabilities and services, which are available to anyone willing to pay. Globally, widespread cyber-facilitated bank and credit card fraud has serious implications for economic and financial systems and the national security, intelligence, and law enforcement communities charged with protecting them....

February 25, 2010
International Center for Transitional Justice

Abstract:

Judicialization efforts following atrocity tend toward: (1) criminal prosecution and punishment for violations of international criminal law, and (2) civil litigation for violations of international criminal law. By and large, the reach of international criminal law is limited to serious violations of core civil and political rights. Therefore, notwithstanding certain exceptions where violations of social, economic, and environmental rights have become implicated, the focus of judicialization efforts remains limited to core civil and political rights. There is much to celebrate in the enforcement of international criminal law; there also is much to critique and improve upon. Part of the improvement project involves recognizing that criminal prosecutions and civil litigation concerning violations of core civil and political rights offer only a partial print of justice. Ever since the divide effected in international human rights law in the 1960s, economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights have mixed quite uneasily with third-party criminal or civil enforcement strategies. This tentativeness exists, in part, because these rights have been constructed as aspirational. Economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights have been defined as expecting behavior on the part of state actors, as opposed to—with some exceptions— obliging state actors to refrain from engaging in certain behavior. This classification, and the allocation of resources it necessarily engenders, is understandable in that gruesome violations of civil and political rights—mass murder, torture, sexual assault—present an immediacy to them that explains the consensus in favor of prosecuting and suing individuals who directly perpetrate such travesties. As a result, socioeconomic and environmental crimes or wrongs have become poorly articulated in judicial settings, prodding some experts to conclude that accountability for such crimes is compromised....

February 9, 2010
Center for New American Security

Abstract:

In the 21st century, the security of nations will increasingly depend on the security of natural resources, or “natural security.” This concept paper outlines a new program of study at the Center for a New American Security to look at emerging natural resources challenges in six key areas of consumption and consequences – energy, minerals, water, land, climate change, and biodiversity – as well as the ways in which these challenges are linked together. Any solution to the country’s energy insecurity is likely to involve water, non-fuel minerals, and land-use issues; climate change and biodiversity cut across all concerns, with broad effects on resource vulnerability. Without an integrated, national-level approach that links together natural security challenges, the United States runs the risk of trading one dependency for another and exacerbating the consequences....

February 3, 2010
United States Senate Committee on Intelligence

Abstract:

Blair's testimony discusses: far-reaching impact of the cyber threat; the changing threat to the global economy; terrorists under pressure: terrorist threat to homeland remains (includes discussion on Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and comments on US "homegrown jihadists"); the growing proliferation threat; Afghanistan (including the Taliban-dominated insurgency, potential ties to Al-Qa'ida, security and governance issues, and the Afghan drug trade); Pakistan: Turning against domestic extremists; further regional and country updates; mass killings; climate change; strategic health challenges and threats; and international organized crime....

March 5, 2010
openDemocracy

Abstract:

The last decade has seen much more detailed attention to the many, sometimes contradictory, roles women play in conflict situations. But women remain a vital peace constituency. Diana Francis’s argument that a sustainable and just peace can only be built by local peacebuilders is both compelling and cogent. As she also points out the chances are high that those local peacebuilders will be women. The reasons for this are many. As a group women are often excluded from political power, and from decisions regarding armed conflict. Any political benefits gained from armed conflict are likely to be less for them. Coupled with the higher rates of civilian casualties in modern warfare - indeed, civilians are frequently a specific target - women’s stake in armed conflict is even less. Women’s kinship and community networks and their knowledge of local affairs often make them very effective early warning monitors. They can be among the first to hear rumours of or see preparations for war, such as a sudden influx of small arms into the community. This was why, when market vendors began refusing to sell goods to members of another clan, and marriage celebrations were shortened so that participants could return to the safety of homes earlier in the proceedings, concerned women in Wajir, Kenya, came together to explore ways to reduce the increasing community polarisation and to prevent violence....

March 1, 2010
Center for a New American Security

Abstract:

The March 7 national election in Iraq and the period of government formation that will follow it carry enormous implications for both the future of that country and for U.S. policy there. It appears now that the elections are unlikely to resolve key political struggles that could yet return the country to sectarianism and violence. If so, President Barack Obama may find himself considering whether once again to break a campaign promise regarding Iraq and keep tens of thousands of troops there for several more years, perhaps until the end of his term. Surprisingly, that probably is the best course for him, and for Iraqi leaders, to pursue. Many commentators have asserted either that the surge succeeded or that it failed, but the fact of the matter is that no one really knows – yet. It improved security, but it is unclear whether its larger goal of leading to a political breakthrough has actually happened. Any lasting effect likely will become apparent only in the coming months, with the upcoming election and, even more importantly, in the months after that when a new government is formed. The early signs are not good, with the latest being the decision over the weekend of the leading Sunni party to withdraw from the elections....

February 26, 2010
The Jamestown Foundation // Terrorism Monitor

Abstract:

In 2008 and 2009, Kurdish relations with Baghdad came dangerously close to exploding into open conflict on a number of occasions, as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s increasingly nationalist stance and advocacy of a strong central government threatened the Kurdish preference for autonomy and decentralization. American intervention and mediation of a number of confrontations, including two incidents where Kurdish peshmerga and Iraqi Army Arab units appeared ready to begin shooting at each other, helped to keep tensions under control. Given that the disputes between Baghdad and Arbil remain unresolved, a looming withdrawal of U.S. forces has increased fears of what may occur in the absence of mediators. In an attempt to foster cooperation and better relations between Kurdish forces and Arab Iraqi Army troops, U.S. forces recently began managing shared checkpoints with both forces along the Kurdish region’s border....

February 26, 2010
United States Government Office of the Director National Intelligence

Abstract:

We face nation states, terrorist networks, organized criminal groups, individuals, and other cyber actors with varying combinations of access, technical sophistication and intent. Many have the capabilities to target elements of the US information infrastructure for intelligence collection, intellectual property theft, or disruption. Terrorist groups and their sympathizers have expressed interest in using cyber means to target the United States and its citizens. Criminal elements continue to show growing sophistication in their technical capability and targeting. Today, cyber criminals operate a pervasive, mature on-line service economy in illicit cyber capabilities and services, which are available to anyone willing to pay. Globally, widespread cyber-facilitated bank and credit card fraud has serious implications for economic and financial systems and the national security, intelligence, and law enforcement communities charged with protecting them....

February 26, 2010
The World Bank // Social Development Department

Abstract:

This paper explores how a “conflict and violence‐sensitive” framework in project assessment, design and implementation facilitates early identification and mitigation of negative consequences of competition and dispute, and promotes sustainable development over the longer term. It discusses the role of renewable resources in perpetuating conflict and violence, and distills lessons from selected development programming experiences in managing conflict risks associated with these dynamics. The study emphasizes that building capacity to productively address conflict and to improve community resilience to ecological change decreases vulnerability to violence, and improves livelihoods—particularly for the world’s poorest communities. The study draws on a range of development experience and specifically examines six case studies: three from the World Bank portfolio and three external to the Bank. Of the World Bank projects, the paper considers Andhra Pradesh Community Forest Management Project (India), Land Conflict and Vulnerability Pilot Project (Afghanistan), and Second Fadama Development Project (Nigeria). The paper also studies three external cases: Conservation of Managed Indigenous Areas (Ecuador) and Building the Capacity of ICCN to Resolve and Manage Environmental Conflicts in Virunga National Park (DRC), both financed by USAID; and the Community Development Component of GTZ’s Palestinian Water Program (West Bank). The concluding chapter outlines good practice and lessons learned from experience, emphasizing principals for building institutional and organizational capacity that support constructive conflict management....

March 5, 2010
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Abstract:

Today, the Palestinians are divided geographically and politically. Hamas governs Gaza. Palestinian public discourse, including public education, about Israel and Jews is still infused with anti-Semitism, and the infrastructure of terrorism has not been dismantled. In Israel, a right-wing coalition governs, perceived by the Palestinians and others as more interested in enhancing Israel’s grip on the West Bank than negotiating a peace settlement based on Resolution 242. Settlement activity continues, despite the highly-conditioned and temporary moratorium on new housing starts. Some Israeli actions in East Jerusalem are provoking Palestinian protests that threaten to upset a relatively calm situation....

March 5, 2010
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Abstract:

In the seventeen years since it was first launched, the peace process has gone through times that were better and through times that were worse, but none that were more complex, confusing or contradictory as today. That is because of late so much that had been relatively stable -- in terms of the character of local actors, shape of the regional landscape and assessment of the U.S. role -- has undergone dramatic shifts. Only a handful of these recent transformations need mention: the death of Yasser Arafat, father of Palestinian nationalism, and incapacitation of Ariel Sharon, Israel's last heroic leader; Fatah's crisis; Hamas's electoral triumph and takeover in Gaza; the 2006 Lebanon and 2008 Gaza wars, which shook Israel's confidence and bolstered that of Islamist militants; the failure of the Abbas-Olmert talks; U.S. regional setbacks in Iraq and diplomatic disengagement elsewhere; Iran's increased influence; and the growing role of other regional players. This is not a mere change in scenery. It is a new world. As the ground beneath the peace process has shifted, U.S. efforts have yet to fully adjust....

March 5, 2010
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Abstract:

In addition to the vital diplomatic track, the Palestinian Authority has initiated the most important innovation in many years with regard to Middle East peace: the program of the 13th Palestinian Government issued last August by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and his Cabinet, under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas. The plan is for Palestinians to build the institutional, infrastructural, economic and administrative framework of their state in spite of the occupation with the intention of ending the occupation. All parties, including Israel, say it is their intention to realize the two-state solution. By adopting this program, Palestinians are taking up the responsibilities of self-government as they continue to insist on the right of self-determination....

March 5, 2010
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Abstract:

To date, the Israeli-Palestinian issue has not worked out as the Obama Administration had hoped. The picture is mixed. While the developments on the ground in the West Bank have shown promise and hope, the top-down political negotiations have not only made little progress, but have even regressed. We have gone from a point where Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were at advanced stages of negotiations, to a point where there have been no negotiations at all between the parties for nearly a year. There may be several reasons for this, yet as President Obama himself has publicly admitted, it is due in no small measure to an early miscalculation by Washington that triggered a series of events and expectations that could not be overcome during the Administration‟s first year. On Wednesday March 3rd, Arab foreign ministers gave their long-awaited support for Abbas to participate in proximity talks, whereby Senator Mitchell will shuttle between Israelis and Palestinians. Such talks must be a transition to direct talks between the parties themselves. In contrast, if these talks become an alternative to direct talks, they will fail. It is impossible for any party or any country to make the most vital decisions possible without the confidence of dealing directly with the other side....

March 5, 2010
openDemocracy

Abstract:

As Shelley Anderson suggests, war and gender are intimately related. Gender lies at war’s heart and the conduct and impact of war are equally gendered. Although conflict transformation is based on values traditionally regarded as ‘feminine,’ it struggles to implement them in a world shaped by masculinity. Shelley Anderson is an old colleague with an inspiring track record in gender work. We see things very much alike. As she suggests in her article Vital peace constituencies a hidden war is being waged against women: a war on many fronts, expressed as beatings, rapes (whether marital or otherwise), ‘honour killings’ and other murders. It involves daily humiliation; imprisonment in the home and debarment from travel; deprivation of parental rights and property ownership; and exclusion from political and economic power. In all too many places these things are ‘normal’ and their impact, in terms of injury, death and ongoing suffering of all kinds, is equivalent to that of war....

March 5, 2010
Women's Iniatives for Gender Justice

Abstract:

First published in June 2008, Making a Statement: A Review of Charges and Prosecutions for Gender-Based Crimes before the International Criminal Court, is a collection of statements and commentaries written by the Women’s Initiatives from 2005-2008 in response to the opening of investigations, the unsealing of warrants of arrest, and the charges brought by the Office of the Prosecutor in each of the four situations. Making a Statement, Second Edition includes an updated chart of all of the charges for gender-based crimes requested by the Prosecutor through February 2010, as well as new statements by the Women’s Initiatives regarding the opening of the second trial in the DRC Situation and the Confirmation Decision in the case against Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo. The Second Edition of Making a Statement includes an updated chart of all of the charges for gender-based crimes requested by the Prosecutor to date, as well as the charges confirmed and not confirmed by the Pre-Trial Chambers. It includes new statements by the Women’s Initiatives in relation to the commencement of the ICC’s first trial and the Confirmation Decision in the case against Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo. In that same case, the Women’s Initiatives was the first international women’s rights organisation invited to file an amicus curiae brief before the ICC....

March 3, 2010
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces // LIT Verlag

Abstract:

The case of Kosovo epitomises problems of governing ‘international protectorates’ and of post-war crime fighting. The empirical picture is a messy one in which numerous international and domestic agencies intermingle in complex ways, often working at cross-purposes. As in Bosnia, military involvement in law enforcement has lacked effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy. This is only partly the fault of NATO – the UN and its member states arguably carry more responsibility. Crime-fighting in pre- and post-independence Kosovo exemplifies flawed security governance, SSG and SSR. The first part of this chapter examines the immediate post-war period. The second part discusses the early years of international governance in Kosovo. The third part reveals the travails of crime-fighting around the time Kosovo declared independence. Drawing primarily on interviews conducted in Kosovo in 2007 and 2008 (and a few in 2006), this third part complements the vast literature on international intervention in Kosovo by focusing on more recent events. The chapter also fills a gap by shedding light on dynamics on the ground, which have been neglected due to the propensity of scholars to focus on the strategic/diplomatic level rather than the operational and tactical levels....

March 3, 2010
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Abstract:

United Nation member states are currently discussing the feasibility of an arms trade treaty (ATT) which would seek to create better controls on international arms transfers. This Background Paper is one of a series produced by SIPRI to inform these discussions. Military expenditure and arms imports in Europe and Central Asia have increased during the past decade. Military reform and modernization have been offered as justifications for the significant increase in military spending and arms procurement in Eastern Europe, but other factors such as unresolved border disputes, territorial claims and separatism also play a role. Russia, Germany, France and the UK are among the world’s largest arms exporters. European and Central Asian states have contributed to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) via transfers and licensed production. They have also developed national legislation and systems for controlling arms transfers and have made commitments at the regional level to prevent diversions or destabilizing build-ups of SALW....

March 3, 2010
Congressional Research Service

Abstract:

There has been a recent increase in the level of drug trafficking-related violence within and between the drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. This violence has generated concern among U.S. policy makers that the violence in Mexico might spill over into the United States. Currently, U.S. federal officials deny that the recent increase in drug trafficking-related violence in Mexico has resulted in a spillover into the United States, but they acknowledge that the prospect is a serious concern. The most recent threat assessment indicates that the Mexican drug trafficking organizations pose the greatest drug trafficking threat to the United States, and this threat is driven partly by U.S. demand for drugs. Mexican drug trafficking organizations are the major suppliers and key producers of most illegal drugs smuggled into the United States across the Southwest border (SWB). The nature of the conflict between the Mexican drug trafficking organizations in Mexico has manifested itself, in part, as a struggle for control of these smuggling routes into the United States. Further, in an illegal marketplace—such as that of illicit drugs—where prices and profits are elevated due to the risks of operating outside the law, violence or the threat of violence becomes the primary means for settling disputes....

March 2, 2010
United States Department of State // Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

Abstract:

In attempting to evaluate whether countries and certain entities are meeting the goals and objectives of the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the Department has used the best information it has available. The 2010 INCSR covers countries that range from major drug producing and drug-transit countries, where drug control is a critical element of national policy, to small countries or entities where drug issues or the capacity to deal with them are minimal. The reports vary in the extent of their coverage. For key drugcontrol countries, where considerable information is available, we have provided comprehensive reports. For some smaller countries or entities where only limited information is available, we have included whatever data the responsible post could provide. The country chapters report upon actions taken—including plans, programs, and, where applicable, timetables—toward fulfillment of Convention obligations....

March 9, 2010
Heinrich Böll Stiftung

Abstract:

If economics is the original dismal science, then climate change could be its understudy. Hardly a day goes by without a new scientific report revealing more worrying news about the rapid progress of climate change. Reports on climate change typically make for grim bedtime reading – full of worrying statistics and doomsday scenarios. Sometimes it feels like the only question left is whether the rising sea levels, tornadoes or forest fires will get you first. As the meteorological picture comes into focus, campaigners have begun to argue that climate change holds potentially serious implications for international security. The basic argument is that climate change – by redrawing the maps of water availability, food security, disease prevalence and coastal boundaries – will reduce the available food and water, increase migration, raise tensions and trigger new conflicts....

March 2, 2010
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Abstract:

Attacks on education occur in many countries that face armed confl ict and insecurity. Carried out for political, military, ideological, sectarian, ethnic, religious and criminal reasons by state and non-state actors alike, these incidents involve the intentional use of force in ways that disrupt and deter educational provision. Such attacks are directed against learners, educators, education aid workers, education trade unionists and educational institutions at all levels. They include targeted killings, disappearances, kidnapping, forced exile, imprisonment, torture, maiming, rape by soldiers and security forces, recruitment of child soldiers, harassment and intimidation, and occupation and destruction of educational facilities. Education is a fundamental right – both an end in itself and an enabling right; access to quality education enables people to secure and enjoy other rights. When provided in safe learning environments, education can also play a vital role in the physical, cognitive and psychosocial protection of individuals affected by confl ict and insecurity – particularly children and young people – and in the long-term recovery of communities. Yet targeted attacks on learners, educators and infrastructure undermine the likelihood of delivering the life-saving and life-sustaining supports that education can afford. Failure to provide adequate protection of education exacerbates other existing threats to wellbeing. Given that countries affected by confl ict are home to a signifi cant proportion of those who are not able to receive an education, the impact of such attacks must be addressed if sustainable progress is to be made towards the achievement of education for all (EFA)....

March 2, 2010
International Food Policy Research Institute

Abstract:

Yemen is an oil-exporting and food-importing country on the Arabian Peninsula with persistently high levels of poverty. The impacts of the food, fuel, and financial global crises are likely to further complicate preexisting conditions of internal conflicts, decreasing oil revenues, and governance failure. The latest official growth numbers date back to precrisis levels; new estimates are subject to much debate; and the current state of poverty in Yemen remains unclear. In this paper, a consistent economic framework is presented to help close this information gap and to better understand growth and poverty dynamics during crises. Results show that economic growth in Yemen accelerated during the food and fuel crises in 2008 because oil-driven growth dominated the negative growth impacts of the food crisis. However, this oildriven growth has not been pro-poor; in fact, poverty in both rural and urban areas rises sharply in 2008. The financial crisis in 2009 impacts Yemen mainly through the drop in oil prices and a reduction in remittances and thereby sharply slows growth, including agricultural growth. This growth decline hits households hard and compounds the poverty effects of the food crisis. Model results indicate that poverty has increased to 42.8 percent in 2009, an increase of 8 percentage points from 2005–2006, when it was 34.8 percent. Poverty continues to be much higher in rural areas, where almost half of all people lived in poverty in 2009, compared with 29.9 percent in urban areas. These estimates can be considered conservative because we do not account for conflicts and natural disasters that recently hit the country....

February 26, 2010
The World Bank // Social Development Department

Abstract:

This paper explores how a “conflict and violence‐sensitive” framework in project assessment, design and implementation facilitates early identification and mitigation of negative consequences of competition and dispute, and promotes sustainable development over the longer term. It discusses the role of renewable resources in perpetuating conflict and violence, and distills lessons from selected development programming experiences in managing conflict risks associated with these dynamics. The study emphasizes that building capacity to productively address conflict and to improve community resilience to ecological change decreases vulnerability to violence, and improves livelihoods—particularly for the world’s poorest communities. The study draws on a range of development experience and specifically examines six case studies: three from the World Bank portfolio and three external to the Bank. Of the World Bank projects, the paper considers Andhra Pradesh Community Forest Management Project (India), Land Conflict and Vulnerability Pilot Project (Afghanistan), and Second Fadama Development Project (Nigeria). The paper also studies three external cases: Conservation of Managed Indigenous Areas (Ecuador) and Building the Capacity of ICCN to Resolve and Manage Environmental Conflicts in Virunga National Park (DRC), both financed by USAID; and the Community Development Component of GTZ’s Palestinian Water Program (West Bank). The concluding chapter outlines good practice and lessons learned from experience, emphasizing principals for building institutional and organizational capacity that support constructive conflict management....

February 26, 2010
Working Group on Development and Peace

Abstract:

The transitional justice concept, with its various mechanisms, offers practical starting points for the planning of measures in peace oriented development work. In particular, it enables state and civil society actors to link and ensure complementarity between their various activities. The point in time and the form and combination of mechanisms that can be applied in a given country will depend on the specific context. For development and peace organisations, this raises questions about their own role, choice of partners, and the design and timing of activities, etc. The first part of the FriEnt Guidance Paper explains terminology and concepts of relevance to transitional justice. It identifies key challenges and issues arising for development and peace organisations. The second part offers guidelines for staff working in development and peace organisations with an initial frame of reference for the design of projects/ programmes that fit in with the transitional justice concept. It provides key questions for context analysis and the planning of individual transitional justice mechanisms, refers to earlier experiences and gives practical tips....

March 8, 2010
Amnesty International

Abstract:

A growing number of rape reports, including against very young girls and gang rapes, fill Cambodian newspapers. Most police, NGO workers and public officials working with the issue agree that rape is on the increase. The lack of appropriate services for victims of rape is acute, and reflects social attitudes about rape and sexual violence. Cambodia’s new Penal Code will enter into force late 2010. Amnesty International urges the Cambodian government to seize this opportunity to address inadequate law enforcement in cases of gender-based violence. The government has plans and strategies to tackle genderbased discrimination, with a clear focus on human trafficking and domestic violence. They need to incorporate rape and other sexual violence into these efforts, ensuring political will to address this problem. The government’s limited public condemnation of rape echoes a lack of social sanction. The lack of services – and policy discussions – may be interpreted as an implicit acceptance of sexual violence on the part of the government and vast swathes of society. The limited access to adequate medical and social services is a further indication that the authorities do not acknowledge the severe trauma experienced by victims....

March 5, 2010
openDemocracy

Abstract:

As Shelley Anderson suggests, war and gender are intimately related. Gender lies at war’s heart and the conduct and impact of war are equally gendered. Although conflict transformation is based on values traditionally regarded as ‘feminine,’ it struggles to implement them in a world shaped by masculinity. Shelley Anderson is an old colleague with an inspiring track record in gender work. We see things very much alike. As she suggests in her article Vital peace constituencies a hidden war is being waged against women: a war on many fronts, expressed as beatings, rapes (whether marital or otherwise), ‘honour killings’ and other murders. It involves daily humiliation; imprisonment in the home and debarment from travel; deprivation of parental rights and property ownership; and exclusion from political and economic power. In all too many places these things are ‘normal’ and their impact, in terms of injury, death and ongoing suffering of all kinds, is equivalent to that of war....

March 5, 2010
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

Abstract:

This article, 'Women, men and gun violence: options for action', forms part of a larger publication on directions for the reduction of small arms control. In this piece the authors emphasise a gender equity approach to reduce risks and bolster resilience to insecurity and violence. A number of issues are explored such as: men, masculinities, and guns: the largest numbers of acts of violence are committed by men; women’s multiple roles: women play multiple roles in times of war and unique roles in the aftermath; national gun laws and consequences for safety: gun laws can have important and positive consequences when analysed from a gender perspective; building gender-aware programmes: policy analysts, researchers and programme planners often speak exclusively to men about finding solutions to security problems....

March 5, 2010
Chr. Michelsen Institute

Abstract:

The international discourse on gender and peacebuilding presupposes a common agenda among all women across religion, ethnicity and class in any given post-conflict situation. This brief challenges this position by exploring the attitudes and priorities of Muslim female activists in Sudan. Disunited and politicized, they have multiple and competing priorities rather than a common gender-based agenda.

March 5, 2010
openDemocracy

Abstract:

The last decade has seen much more detailed attention to the many, sometimes contradictory, roles women play in conflict situations. But women remain a vital peace constituency. Diana Francis’s argument that a sustainable and just peace can only be built by local peacebuilders is both compelling and cogent. As she also points out the chances are high that those local peacebuilders will be women. The reasons for this are many. As a group women are often excluded from political power, and from decisions regarding armed conflict. Any political benefits gained from armed conflict are likely to be less for them. Coupled with the higher rates of civilian casualties in modern warfare - indeed, civilians are frequently a specific target - women’s stake in armed conflict is even less. Women’s kinship and community networks and their knowledge of local affairs often make them very effective early warning monitors. They can be among the first to hear rumours of or see preparations for war, such as a sudden influx of small arms into the community. This was why, when market vendors began refusing to sell goods to members of another clan, and marriage celebrations were shortened so that participants could return to the safety of homes earlier in the proceedings, concerned women in Wajir, Kenya, came together to explore ways to reduce the increasing community polarisation and to prevent violence....

March 9, 2010
United States Government Accountability Office

Abstract:

The U.S. government’s reliance on contractors, including the State Department’s and Department of Defense’s (DOD) use of private security contractors in Iraq, has been well documented. We and others have examined many of the challenges the government faces using contractors in Iraq, including issues related to the scope of private security contractors’ activities, the challenges in providing sufficient oversight, the appropriate accountability processes, and difficulties in conducting background screenings of foreign national contractor employees. (A list of related GAO products can be found at the end of this report.) What has not been so well examined is the comparative cost of using civilian employees or military members versus the cost of using contractors, particularly private security contractors, during contingency operations such as Operation Iraqi Freedom. Generally, when costs have been discussed, the focus has been on the daily rate paid to contractor employees, rather than on the total costs of using State Department or DOD personnel. However, in October 2005, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a study that compared the cost of using military personnel, federal civilians, or contractors to provide logistic support for overseas operations....

March 9, 2010
International Relations and Security Network

Abstract:

New data from centrist Democratic pollsters shows President Barack Obama and the party losing ground on national security with key voters, and they urge him to toughen up his rhetoric on terrorism, but it’s a prescription that ignores an important point the president has been trying to make. The poll, conducted by veteran Democratic political consultants Stan Greenberg and Jeremy Rosner, found that President Obama had strong personal approval ratings among voters in most areas of national security - higher indeed than his approval rating overall, which was 47 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving. Conducted in late February, the poll surveyed 851 adults who voted in 2008 and said they were likely to do so again in 2010. More than half of the likely voters approved of the president’s handling of Afghanistan (58 percent to 37 percent disapproving); national security (57 percent to 40); “leading America’s military” (57 percent to 38); fighting terrorism (54 percent to 41); and Iraq (54 percent to 40). These numbers, though still strong, are down from the 60 percent plus territory they were in when the pollsters ran their survey in May last year. Nonetheless, the president’s approval ratings are currently in negative territory on only two national security issues: Iran (42 percent approving to 49 percent disapproving) and the “prosecution and interrogation of terrorism suspects.”...

March 8, 2010
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Abstract:

[...] Facing comparatively few restrictions, U.S. legal residents and citizens can travel abroad, connect with terrorist groups to gain explosives or weapons training, and return here to plan and execute attacks. Particularly troubling are homegrown extremists who possess facility with both American and foreign cultures, including language skills. Such multi-cultural familiarity could allow them to operate freely both at home and overseas and to elude—far more easily than foreign nationals—U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials. Combating these tendencies requires action at the local, state, and federal levels. Local governments, supported by federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, must continue to build strong partnerships with Muslim communities. This type of cooperation is important because the friends and family of suspected extremists often are the best resources for law enforcement officials. The federal government also must continue to support official partnerships among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Such efforts—embodied in Joint Terrorism Task Forces and fusion centers—are crucial to apprehending domestic extremists because they combine local expertise (knowledge of neighborhoods and communities) with federal expertise (national intelligence and counterterrorism tools) to form a comprehensive approach to the threat. Policymakers and officials at the national level also must address two key issues that play heavily in the five cases discussed here. First, they must consider new ways to interdict the growing trend of “Internet radicalization.” Many of last fall’s suspects connected with transnational terrorist recruiters via the Internet; stopping this sort of activity is crucial to stemming domestic extremism in the United States. Second, several of those arrested last fall seemed to harbor the belief that the United States is at war with Islam. This is a “narrative” that al Qaeda and other global terrorist groups actively promulgate; it holds that U.S. counterterrorism efforts signify a “clash of civilizations” between the West and Islam. The United States must continue to work to puncture this narrative. White House officials already have discarded phrases like “war on radical Islam.” But ultimately, the United States needs to go further than this, because al Qaeda seizes on more than just U.S. rhetoric to galvanize support for its agenda; the group also points to America’s military presence in Muslim countries as evidence for its preferred narrative. The United States, then, should consider how to balance the need to combat global terrorism with the drawbacks of large-scale, direct military intervention. Doing so will require the United States to forge stronger partnerships with states plagued by extremist violence....

March 8, 2010
Al Jazeera

Abstract:

In the run-up to today's historically significant parliamentary polls in Iraq, a volume of commentary has been offered on the complex internal dynamics in play and their critical import for the future direction of the country. But a question that begs asking is where do Iraq's neighbours stand on these critical elections. Given the volatile reality of the Middle East and its tortuous geopolitics, states in the region have an intimate interest and much at stake in how their neighbours are run. With much at risk for the stability of Iraq and its concomitant effects on bordering states, today's elections will be watched with great anxiety in capitals across the Middle East. Tehran, in particular, will be following electoral developments over its western border in Iraq. Iranian foreign policy vis-à-vis Iraq is not necessarily ideological in its underpinnings. It is misleading to analyse Iran-Iraq relations through the prism of a Shia alliance....

March 8, 2010
International Relations and Security Network

Abstract:

As Afghanistan contracting surges, US agencies fail to coordinate, inviting waste and abuse. In the past eight years, the United States has allocated $51 billion to rebuild and stabilize Afghanistan. But tracking that money sometimes seems as challenging as finding the leaders of the Taliban. No one keeps an exact count of the number of private contractors working in Afghanistan -- even though Congress ordered that be done more than two years ago. There’s no central list of all the contracts now in force. Government auditors cannot determine with confidence if the reconstruction money is being properly spent or meets the stated objectives. And efforts to improve coordination among the key U.S. agencies managing the money -- the Pentagon, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development -- have lagged at best. That is the picture that emerges from dozens of interviews with auditors, contractors, congressional aides and inspectors general, who echo the findings of independent government reports over the past decade. Without rigorous record-keeping, they say, the contracting process is vulnerable to waste, duplication of effort and fraud....

February 26, 2010
United States Government Office of the Director National Intelligence

Abstract:

We face nation states, terrorist networks, organized criminal groups, individuals, and other cyber actors with varying combinations of access, technical sophistication and intent. Many have the capabilities to target elements of the US information infrastructure for intelligence collection, intellectual property theft, or disruption. Terrorist groups and their sympathizers have expressed interest in using cyber means to target the United States and its citizens. Criminal elements continue to show growing sophistication in their technical capability and targeting. Today, cyber criminals operate a pervasive, mature on-line service economy in illicit cyber capabilities and services, which are available to anyone willing to pay. Globally, widespread cyber-facilitated bank and credit card fraud has serious implications for economic and financial systems and the national security, intelligence, and law enforcement communities charged with protecting them....

February 18, 2010
Timor-Leste Armed Violence Assessment

Abstract:

Under an agreement with the Ministry of Health, the Timor-Leste Armed Violence Assessment (TLAVA) was given access to patient data from three hospitals for the years 2006–08. The objectives were to collect and analyse the data in order to identify incidents, trends, and risk factors for armed violence following the 2006 crisis and 2007 unrest, and to assess the state of violent injury surveillance in the country. This study, while subject to limitations and caveats, presents one of the first longitudinal looks at violent victimization as reflected by cases treated at Timorese hospital emergency rooms (ERs)....

February 18, 2010
Small Arms Survey // Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva // Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development

Abstract:

This background note provides an overview of some of the key themes and issues related to armed violence and development in order to begin considering entry points, policies and programmes to reverse these trends. It provides a definition of and rationale for measuring armed violence, and a conceptual matrix to frame its direct and indirect costs. It also draws attention to issues of monitoring and measurement, including how to assess the scale and distribution of armed violence. The background note then presents a descriptive overview – through several illustrative examples – of the scale and distribution of armed violence in a global context. It also offers examples of how one can assess the real and opportunity costs of armed violence, and its negative impacts on development. This background note does not, however, provide a comprehensive survey of the vast literature on crime and victimisation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Rather, it aims to provide an overview of trends, highlight the gaps in comparative analysis, and identify the possibilities for more robust assessments and evidence-based interventions....

February 16, 2010
The Lancet // MICROCON

Abstract:

Several mortality estimates for the Darfur conflict have been reported since 2004, but few accounted for conflict dynamics such as changing displacement and causes of deaths. We analyse changes over time for crude and cause-specific mortality rates, and assess the effect of displacement on mortality rates. Our results show significant reductions in mortality rates from early 2004 to the end of 2008, although rates were higher during deployment of fewer humanitarian aid workers. In general, the reduction in rate was more important for violence-related than for diarrhoea-related mortality. Displacement correlated with increased rates of deaths associated with diarrhoea, but also with reduction in violent deaths. We estimated the excess number of deaths to be 298 271 (95% CI 178 258—461 520). Although violence was the main cause of death during 2004, diseases have been the cause of most deaths since 2005, with displaced populations being the most susceptible. Any reduction in humanitarian assistance could lead to worsening mortality rates, as was the case between mid 2006 and mid 2007....

February 16, 2010
Forced Migration Review // University of Oxford // Refugee Studies Centre

Abstract:

The striking fact that for the first time in human history there are now more people living in towns and cities than outside them is not in itself a reason for FMR to be covering urban displacement. Behind that fact, however, lies the multiplicity of reasons why people have been moving into urban environments and the reality that for many of them it is not a matter of choice. In their introductory articles in this issue of FMR, UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres and UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka emphasise the complexity of the challenges faced by those displaced into urban areas and by those seeking to protect and assist them, and argue for the need for a radical rethinking of approaches. The articles that follow address some of the practical and policy issues that urban displaced people face and that affect providers too. They also reflect the diversity of analysis and geography that is to be expected given the global nature of urbanisation....

March 9, 2010
Physicians for Human Rights

Abstract:

In recent months Bangladeshi authorities have waged an unprecedented campaign of arbitrary arrest, illegal expulsion, and forced internment against Burmese refugees. In this emergency report Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) presents new data and documents dire conditions for these persecuted Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. PHR's medical investigators warn that critical levels of acute malnutrition and a surging camp population without access to food aid will cause more deaths from starvation and disease if the humanitarian crisis is not addressed....

March 8, 2010
Amnesty International

Abstract:

A growing number of rape reports, including against very young girls and gang rapes, fill Cambodian newspapers. Most police, NGO workers and public officials working with the issue agree that rape is on the increase. The lack of appropriate services for victims of rape is acute, and reflects social attitudes about rape and sexual violence. Cambodia’s new Penal Code will enter into force late 2010. Amnesty International urges the Cambodian government to seize this opportunity to address inadequate law enforcement in cases of gender-based violence. The government has plans and strategies to tackle genderbased discrimination, with a clear focus on human trafficking and domestic violence. They need to incorporate rape and other sexual violence into these efforts, ensuring political will to address this problem. The government’s limited public condemnation of rape echoes a lack of social sanction. The lack of services – and policy discussions – may be interpreted as an implicit acceptance of sexual violence on the part of the government and vast swathes of society. The limited access to adequate medical and social services is a further indication that the authorities do not acknowledge the severe trauma experienced by victims....

March 5, 2010
Women's Iniatives for Gender Justice

Abstract:

First published in June 2008, Making a Statement: A Review of Charges and Prosecutions for Gender-Based Crimes before the International Criminal Court, is a collection of statements and commentaries written by the Women’s Initiatives from 2005-2008 in response to the opening of investigations, the unsealing of warrants of arrest, and the charges brought by the Office of the Prosecutor in each of the four situations. Making a Statement, Second Edition includes an updated chart of all of the charges for gender-based crimes requested by the Prosecutor through February 2010, as well as new statements by the Women’s Initiatives regarding the opening of the second trial in the DRC Situation and the Confirmation Decision in the case against Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo. The Second Edition of Making a Statement includes an updated chart of all of the charges for gender-based crimes requested by the Prosecutor to date, as well as the charges confirmed and not confirmed by the Pre-Trial Chambers. It includes new statements by the Women’s Initiatives in relation to the commencement of the ICC’s first trial and the Confirmation Decision in the case against Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo. In that same case, the Women’s Initiatives was the first international women’s rights organisation invited to file an amicus curiae brief before the ICC....

March 4, 2010
The Economist

Abstract:

The government of Rwanda is doing a lot of things right. It is pretty open in its handling of aid money. Most foreign governments and charities are so impressed by its detailed plans and apparent lack of corruption that they are funnelling more of their aid directly through Rwanda’s government. President Paul Kagame says he expects direct budget support to rise by a quarter this year, to $519m. The country has recovered valiantly from its year zero in 1994, when 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered. Its centralised state is leading the way in economic and technological reform in the region. It is improving the country’s infrastructure, education and farming, and seeks to preserve its ecology. It pushes equality for women, who comprise half the government and parliament. On the diplomatic front, Mr Kagame has been equally successful. He has sent troops to help keep the peace in Sudan’s Darfur province and elsewhere. He has stood up to mighty France, blaming it, as the region’s then most influential Western power, for failing to prevent the genocide. And last month the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, came to Rwanda and offered something close to an apology. France, he said, had committed “grave errors of judgment” before, during, and after the genocide. Questions linger about the role of French special forces during the killing, as well as the fate of Hutus living in France whom Rwanda wants extradited on suspicion of involvement in the genocide....

March 3, 2010
Freedom House

Abstract:

As the governments of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) undertake the difficult process of enacting social and political change, the unequal status of women presents a particularly formidable challenge. In Iraq, deliberations over women's legal status have been as contentious as negotiations over how to structure the government. In Jordan, measures to increase penalties for so-called honor crimes faced strong resistance by ultraconservative parliamentarians and ordinary citizens who believe that tradition and religion afford them the right to severely punish and even murder female relatives for behavior they deem immoral. These debates are not just legal and philosophical struggles among elites. They are emotionally charged political battles that touch upon fundamental notions of morality and social order. In order to provide a detailed look at the conditions faced by women in the Middle East and understand the complex environment surrounding efforts to improve their status, Freedom House conducted a comprehensive study of women's rights in the region. The first edition of this project was published in 2005. The present edition offers an updated examination of the issue, with a special focus on changes that have occurred over the last five years. Although the study indicates that a substantial deficit in women's rights persists in every country in the MENA region, the findings also include notable progress, particularly in terms of economic opportunities, educational attainment, and political participation....

February 9, 2010
E-International Relations

Abstract:

As the term ‘humane warfare’ is evidently coined from the words humane and warfare, the statement on whether humane warfare is a contradiction in terms, therefore, requires an investigation into how the terminology is derived in the first place. Nevertheless, to conclude that humane warfare is a contradiction in terms on the basis that the word humane yields a positive sense whereas warfare is suggestive of having adversarial sense is too shallow and semantic. The task in this essay is to identify the concept of humane warfare by assessing whether it is contradictory to apply humanity into warfare, which means in its strictest sense the actual act of making war. Since warfare is inextricably linked to the broader framework of war in general, the assessment of the term humane warfare cannot be done in isolation from the latter. The essay will attempt to argue that the term humane warfare is definitely and always a contradiction. In so doing, the arguments will be evaluated by encompassing sectors and levels of analysis apart from the military and the ethical, and also discussing the statement in question with relation to the nature and character of war in general....

February 8, 2010
Institute for Security Studies, The Hague

Abstract:

How has such a diversely used and fiercely contested concept as ‘human security’ retained and redirected so much attention? The paper looks at the emerging concept, as variously articulated and used in UNDP, Japan, Canada, Norway, and elsewhere, with reference to various roles that such a concept plays in establishing a discursive field: 1) to provide a shared language, to highlight and proclaim a new focus in investigation; 2) to guide evaluations; 3) to guide positive analysis; 4) to focus attention in policy design; and 5) to motivate action. It looks at how the concept is used differently, according to the context of the analyst and the case which is analysed; and it identifies and critically reviews some major criticisms of the concept, notably the attack by MacFarlane and Khong on the broad UN version....

August 31, 2009
Shanghai Institute for International Studies

Abstract:

Human security concept since its debut has been widely concerned and attached great importance as well as criticized as much. This article has made a systematic account of the contention on the values of human security in terms of its definition, connotation, values, application and so on. There are two disagreements, the author believes, regarding respectively the values of human security concept, and the UNDP definition of human security concept. Both represent the different, subjective cognitions on the connotation of the security and are stamped with the values of different social strata. The contention, whatsoever, is helpful to the international community in rethinking the traditional security concept, and laying the basis for establishing a new human security concept....

August 27, 2009
International Review of the Red Cross

Abstract:

The ‘direct participation’ exception to the principle of distinction, found in Article 51(3) of Protocol I and Article 13(2) of Protocol II, embodies a long-recognized concept in the laws governing armed conflict. For centuries the broad notion that humanity demands the protection only of those citizens who are harmless has found expression in the rules and norms relating to war. This article traces the historical factors and trends which influenced the development of the ‘direct participation’ exception in its current form, revealing a tendency towards ‘humanizing’ the law in favour of civilians, notwithstanding their increased military value. International humanitarian law is predicated on a delicate equilibrium between the competing demands of military necessity and humanity. In the development of any norm of international humanitarian law the challenge is, as stated in the 1868 St Petersburg Declaration, to establish ‘the technical limits at which the necessities of war ought to yield to the requirements of humanity’. This subtle balancing act finds expression in Article 51(3) of Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which provides that civilians are protected from attack ‘unless and for such time as they take a direct part in hostilities’....

June 19, 2009
Reuters

Abstract:

Reuters Global News Blog provides in depth analysis and opinion pieces of relevant issues relating to international affairs.

March 4, 2010
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs // ReliefWeb

Abstract:

This map shows the estimated cumulative total number of displaced persons in various regions of southern Sudan. It also highlights violence and conflict locations in 2009, as well as locations of current humanitarian operations.

February 26, 2010
Working Group on Development and Peace

Abstract:

The transitional justice concept, with its various mechanisms, offers practical starting points for the planning of measures in peace oriented development work. In particular, it enables state and civil society actors to link and ensure complementarity between their various activities. The point in time and the form and combination of mechanisms that can be applied in a given country will depend on the specific context. For development and peace organisations, this raises questions about their own role, choice of partners, and the design and timing of activities, etc. The first part of the FriEnt Guidance Paper explains terminology and concepts of relevance to transitional justice. It identifies key challenges and issues arising for development and peace organisations. The second part offers guidelines for staff working in development and peace organisations with an initial frame of reference for the design of projects/ programmes that fit in with the transitional justice concept. It provides key questions for context analysis and the planning of individual transitional justice mechanisms, refers to earlier experiences and gives practical tips....

February 25, 2010
International NGO Training and Research Centre

Abstract:

In recent years, engaging in effective development in fragile states has become one of the major challenges and primary goals of the international development community. This new focus is appropriate, as states considered fragile give the international community various causes for concern. In these states, one person in three is undernourished, which is two times higher than in other poor countries. The foundations necessary for growth and development are weak or absent. As well as humanitarian concerns, studies have drawn attention to fragile states as potentially creating enormous costs and security risks internationally. Fragile states reduce the likelihood of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Recent studies have also shown that states considered fragile do not receive aid proportional to the extent of their poverty, which is attributed to the mid-1990’s donor shift in emphasis towards rewarding countries with relatively effective governments and economic policies. It is not solely a question of aid money though, as some fragile states do not lack funds but rather adequate governance and policies. These findings have brought the attention of the international community to the issue of how to work well in fragile states, and recognising the necessity of effective civil society engagement is part of that process. Though this paper focuses on working with civil society in fragile states, this is not instead of state engagement or capacity building at state levels. This civil society analysis is in line with the international consensus that “state building is the central objective of international engagement in fragile states.” With a focus on state building as supporting the state–society contract,5 state capacity needs to be built, but active citizens in society are necessary as well. As fragile states are generally recognised as those lacking the capacity or political will to provide basic services to their people, working with civil society and civil society organisations (CSOs) in fragile states is essential for international NGOs and donors. There are many questions that arise from an NGO or donor perspective when contemplating working with civil society in fragile states. This briefing paper distils the core questions which the fragile states literature and experiences in fragile states present, with the aim of structuring space for discussion of these issues in NGO practice and exploring directions for further research....

February 24, 2010
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre // Norwegian Refugee Council

Abstract:

Fighting between militia groups and Congolese armed forces supported by the UN, as well as attacks and violence against civilians, caused the displacement of around a million people in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2009. As a result of these and earlier episodes, over 2.1 million people were displaced in North and South Kivu and Orientale Province as of the end of 2009. Many internally displaced people (IDPs) have not received assistance from international agencies, whose access has been blocked by the insecurity. Tens of thousands of IDPs have sought shelter in camps and spontaneous settlements, as the resident population’s capacity to host them has declined. As of early 2010, the killing and rape of civilians was continuing at a horrifying rate in eastern DRC, and the protection of IDPs and other civilians there remained an urgent concern. In the context of the illegal exploitation of DRC’s vast natural resources by members of the army and militia groups, of military operations against rebel groups, and of vicious attacks against the civilian population, and in the absence of a disciplined and integrated army, prospects for any improvement of the situation remained dim....

February 23, 2010
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung // Heinrich Böll Foundation

Abstract:

Afghanistan in 2006 faced an acute crisis with three inter-related dimensions: insurgency, opium, and dissatisfaction with the government and its international backers. Sustainable solutions to these challenges all require a long-term commitment to improved governance in Afghanistan. Governance involves more than just government, and encompasses broad questions of how Afghan society and its international supporters may deliver public goods in the area of security, representation, and welfare. Nevertheless, the state will have a central role in coordinating this delivery, and state-building is therefore the central concern for the country’s future. The aid architecture to date has not been consistently oriented towards meeting this challenge, and changes are required both inside and outside the country to do so. The recent transition to an assistance framework based on the Afghanistan National Development Strategy and Afghanistan Compact presents opportunities to make these changes. However, this framework requires further elaboration to most effectively support governance-based solutions to the country’s challenges....

March 5, 2010
Institute for the Study of War

Abstract:

This backgrounder provides an update on the political landscape in Iraq on the eve of parliamentary elections. The paper begins with a brief overview of the electoral process. The second part of the backgrounder documents the Shi’a, Sunni, and Kurdish political landscapes. This paper concludes with some considerations on the post-election period of government formation. Roughly 18.9 million Iraqis are registered to vote in the upcoming election, at more than 10,000 polling centers across the country. Each polling center comprises one or more polling stations, of which there are more than 50,000 in total. More than 300,000 domestic election observers and observers from various political parties will monitor the election; in addition, eight diplomatic missions and international organizations have been asked to participate as international election monitors. Security for the polling sites will be provided by the Iraqi Security Forces, with some planning assistance and enablers provided by U.S. forces....

March 4, 2010
Aspen Atlantic Group

Abstract:

As a nuclear power with a population nearly six times that of Afghanistan, in the grip of violent insurgency, and a source of terrorism which spreads infection well beyond its borders, Pakistan is of major importance to U.S. and European interests. It is currently facing its greatest challenges since the country split apart in 1971. Because the roots of these challenges—political, economic, and security—extend back to Pakistan’s turbulent birth 62 years ago, an understanding of its history and its peoples must underpin any successful effort to promote stability. Of perhaps the greatest importance in the longer term, however, is the context in which U.S. military/security interests are advanced. At least until recently there has been too much pursuit of tactical gains at the expense of disproportionate strategic costs. This may have been a result of insufficient appreciation of the differences between Pakistani and American interests. The emphasis on military operations and inaction to improve the well-being of the Pakistani people fostered a popular belief among the body politic and civil society that they were fighting and suffering from, ‘Washington’s War.’ The two key imperatives now are to improve Pakistani sentiment towards the U.S., and to help rebuild Pakistan’s civilian institutions by re-balancing the power and influence between the Army and elected bodies. This will entail, inter alia, encouraging a more realistic perception about external threats, e.g. from India. The achievement of these objectives will be neither swift nor easy. But it is essential if the country, with all its nascent threats to U.S. interests, is to be stabilised over the long term....

March 3, 2010
International Crisis Group

Abstract:

As Zimbabwe enters its second year under a unity government, the challenges to democratic transformation have come into sharp focus. Despite reasonable progress in restoring political and social stability, ending widespread repression and stabilising the economy since February 2009, major threats could still derail the reform process. In particular, resistance of intransigent and still powerful security sector leaders and fractious in-fighting between and within the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU-PF) and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) must be addressed now. South Africa and other countries in southern Africa – who monitor the accord that guides the transition – must press the parties, and particularly President Robert Mugabe, to see the transition through to a successful conclusion. But major concerns undermining the transition process have come to the fore. Hardline generals and other Mugabe loyalists in ZANU-PF are refusing to implement the government’s decisions, boycotting the new national security organ and showing public disdain for Tsvangirai. This briefing focuses on political party and security issues, as well as South Africa’s mediation....

March 3, 2010
United Nations Security Council

Abstract:

The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 14 of Security Council resolution 1876 (2009), by which the Council requested me to submit a written report every four months on the progress made in establishing the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) and in implementing the resolution. The report covers developments since my previous report (S/2009/552), dated 22 October 2009 and covering the period until 15 February 2010, with a particular focus on efforts to normalize the functioning of State institutions and on preparations for the national conference designed to promote reconciliation in the country....

March 3, 2010
United Nations Security Council

Abstract:

The Security Council today extend for another year the mandate of the United Nations mission working to promote peace, stability and development in Timor-Leste. In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member body decided that the mission, known as UNMIT, will remain in place until 26 February 2011. In doing so, the Council urged all parties in Timor-Leste, in particular political leaders, “to continue to work together and engage in political dialogue and to consolidate peace, democracy, rule of law, sustainable social and economic development, advancement of protection of human rights and national reconciliation in the country.” Earlier this week, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Timor-Leste told the Council that the country which the UN shepherded to independence in 2002 has made “remarkable progress” since the violence that disrupted it in 2006, but that the long-term goals of recovery and development may prove even more challenging. Ameerah Haq, who also heads UNMIT, noted in particular that “long-term security and stability will depend on development of a national police force that is professional and impartial and operates with due respect for the rule of law and human rights.”...

March 5, 2010
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

Abstract:

This article, 'Women, men and gun violence: options for action', forms part of a larger publication on directions for the reduction of small arms control. In this piece the authors emphasise a gender equity approach to reduce risks and bolster resilience to insecurity and violence. A number of issues are explored such as: men, masculinities, and guns: the largest numbers of acts of violence are committed by men; women’s multiple roles: women play multiple roles in times of war and unique roles in the aftermath; national gun laws and consequences for safety: gun laws can have important and positive consequences when analysed from a gender perspective; building gender-aware programmes: policy analysts, researchers and programme planners often speak exclusively to men about finding solutions to security problems....

March 5, 2010
Women's Iniatives for Gender Justice

Abstract:

First published in June 2008, Making a Statement: A Review of Charges and Prosecutions for Gender-Based Crimes before the International Criminal Court, is a collection of statements and commentaries written by the Women’s Initiatives from 2005-2008 in response to the opening of investigations, the unsealing of warrants of arrest, and the charges brought by the Office of the Prosecutor in each of the four situations. Making a Statement, Second Edition includes an updated chart of all of the charges for gender-based crimes requested by the Prosecutor through February 2010, as well as new statements by the Women’s Initiatives regarding the opening of the second trial in the DRC Situation and the Confirmation Decision in the case against Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo. The Second Edition of Making a Statement includes an updated chart of all of the charges for gender-based crimes requested by the Prosecutor to date, as well as the charges confirmed and not confirmed by the Pre-Trial Chambers. It includes new statements by the Women’s Initiatives in relation to the commencement of the ICC’s first trial and the Confirmation Decision in the case against Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo. In that same case, the Women’s Initiatives was the first international women’s rights organisation invited to file an amicus curiae brief before the ICC....

March 2, 2010
United States Department of State // Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

Abstract:

In attempting to evaluate whether countries and certain entities are meeting the goals and objectives of the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the Department has used the best information it has available. The 2010 INCSR covers countries that range from major drug producing and drug-transit countries, where drug control is a critical element of national policy, to small countries or entities where drug issues or the capacity to deal with them are minimal. The reports vary in the extent of their coverage. For key drugcontrol countries, where considerable information is available, we have provided comprehensive reports. For some smaller countries or entities where only limited information is available, we have included whatever data the responsible post could provide. The country chapters report upon actions taken—including plans, programs, and, where applicable, timetables—toward fulfillment of Convention obligations....

March 2, 2010
United States Department of State // Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

Abstract:

The 2010 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes, highlights the most significant steps countries and jurisdictions categorized as “Major Money Laundering Countries” have taken to improve their anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) regimes. The report provides a snapshot of the AML/CFT legal infrastructure of each country or jurisdiction and its capacity to share information and cooperate in international investigations. For the first time, for each country where they have been completed, the write-up also provides a link to the most recent mutual evaluation performed by or on behalf of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) or the FATF-style regional body to which the country or jurisdiction belongs. The country reports also provide a link to the Department of State’s “Country Reports on Terrorism” so the reader can learn more about issues specific to terrorism and terrorism financing. Providing these links will allow those interested readers to find detailed information on the country’s AML/CFT capacity and the effectiveness of its programs....

March 2, 2010
International Center for Transitional Justice // Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission

Abstract:

This paper aims to briefly present an analysis of the position of international law and practice vis-à-vis amnesties, with an application to the Afghan National Assembly Resolution regarding Reconciliation and General Amnesty (hereafter Amnesty Resolution). It reviews the extent to which amnesties concerned with the gravest international crimes (or ‘core international crimes’), namely genocide, crimes against humanity (CAH), war crimes, and torture are prohibited under international law. In the first part, it reviews the applicable law, including of the duty to prosecute and the legality of amnesties under international law. In a second part, the paper draws some general conclusions from international experiences with amnesties and applies these to Afghanistan....

March 5, 2010
Strategic Insights // Center for Contemporary Conflict // Naval Postgraduate School

Abstract:

A concern over the potential for resource competition to serve as a driver for conflict has established the need to more fully examine the relationship between energy resources and conflict. This exploratory correlational study examined the relationship between oil resources, armed conflict and stability. The ability of abundant oil resources to attract conflict and the ability of oil resource deficits to compel participation in armed conflict abroad were both explored. Since instability may be a precursor to conflict, the relationship between oil resources and stability was also examined. Overall, no statistically significant relationships were found between oil resources and either armed conflict or stability. However, stability was significantly related to both hosting and participating in conflict, although with opposite polarities. Results indicate that in today’s global environment oil resources alone may be insufficient as an indicator of energy’s contribution to active, armed conflict....

March 4, 2010
MICROCON

Abstract:

Under pressure from the European Union and other donors, many efforts are undertaken by the Dam Authorities in Lesotho (Lesotho Highlands Development Authority) and the Lesotho government to put increasing responsibility on the dam-affected communities in regards to water management and maintenance of water systems as well as to create better channels of communication for conflict resolution. Although these efforts seem to be well intended, they often fail in their actual implementation. Therefore, there are several discontents on the side of the resettlees and the relocatees, which are the subject of (so far) non-violent conflicts on a local level. The changed situation where resettlees suddenly have to pay for water and other basic needs is a second area of non-violent conflict. According to the people interviewed, the conflicts are basically between the authorities and the displacees, in rare cases between host communities and the displaced people. The third potential area of conflict is the fragmentation of the water sector within the government, which is tried to be overcome by the creation of the Water Commission to coordinate all efforts in the water sector. This fragmentation has of course implications for the communities on the local level. The report strongly argues for an implementation of an approach to increasingly involve the local communities not only in the implementation phase but also in the decision-making process in order to achieve greater effectiveness and sustainability of the water management in Lesotho. It finally suggests the introduction of a so called “Dam Council for Basotho Participation” (DCBP)....

March 2, 2010
International Food Policy Research Institute

Abstract:

Yemen is an oil-exporting and food-importing country on the Arabian Peninsula with persistently high levels of poverty. The impacts of the food, fuel, and financial global crises are likely to further complicate preexisting conditions of internal conflicts, decreasing oil revenues, and governance failure. The latest official growth numbers date back to precrisis levels; new estimates are subject to much debate; and the current state of poverty in Yemen remains unclear. In this paper, a consistent economic framework is presented to help close this information gap and to better understand growth and poverty dynamics during crises. Results show that economic growth in Yemen accelerated during the food and fuel crises in 2008 because oil-driven growth dominated the negative growth impacts of the food crisis. However, this oildriven growth has not been pro-poor; in fact, poverty in both rural and urban areas rises sharply in 2008. The financial crisis in 2009 impacts Yemen mainly through the drop in oil prices and a reduction in remittances and thereby sharply slows growth, including agricultural growth. This growth decline hits households hard and compounds the poverty effects of the food crisis. Model results indicate that poverty has increased to 42.8 percent in 2009, an increase of 8 percentage points from 2005–2006, when it was 34.8 percent. Poverty continues to be much higher in rural areas, where almost half of all people lived in poverty in 2009, compared with 29.9 percent in urban areas. These estimates can be considered conservative because we do not account for conflicts and natural disasters that recently hit the country....

February 26, 2010
United States Government Office of the Director National Intelligence

Abstract:

We face nation states, terrorist networks, organized criminal groups, individuals, and other cyber actors with varying combinations of access, technical sophistication and intent. Many have the capabilities to target elements of the US information infrastructure for intelligence collection, intellectual property theft, or disruption. Terrorist groups and their sympathizers have expressed interest in using cyber means to target the United States and its citizens. Criminal elements continue to show growing sophistication in their technical capability and targeting. Today, cyber criminals operate a pervasive, mature on-line service economy in illicit cyber capabilities and services, which are available to anyone willing to pay. Globally, widespread cyber-facilitated bank and credit card fraud has serious implications for economic and financial systems and the national security, intelligence, and law enforcement communities charged with protecting them....

February 26, 2010
The World Bank // Social Development Department

Abstract:

This paper explores how a “conflict and violence‐sensitive” framework in project assessment, design and implementation facilitates early identification and mitigation of negative consequences of competition and dispute, and promotes sustainable development over the longer term. It discusses the role of renewable resources in perpetuating conflict and violence, and distills lessons from selected development programming experiences in managing conflict risks associated with these dynamics. The study emphasizes that building capacity to productively address conflict and to improve community resilience to ecological change decreases vulnerability to violence, and improves livelihoods—particularly for the world’s poorest communities. The study draws on a range of development experience and specifically examines six case studies: three from the World Bank portfolio and three external to the Bank. Of the World Bank projects, the paper considers Andhra Pradesh Community Forest Management Project (India), Land Conflict and Vulnerability Pilot Project (Afghanistan), and Second Fadama Development Project (Nigeria). The paper also studies three external cases: Conservation of Managed Indigenous Areas (Ecuador) and Building the Capacity of ICCN to Resolve and Manage Environmental Conflicts in Virunga National Park (DRC), both financed by USAID; and the Community Development Component of GTZ’s Palestinian Water Program (West Bank). The concluding chapter outlines good practice and lessons learned from experience, emphasizing principals for building institutional and organizational capacity that support constructive conflict management....

March 5, 2010
Chr. Michelsen Institute

Abstract:

The international discourse on gender and peacebuilding presupposes a common agenda among all women across religion, ethnicity and class in any given post-conflict situation. This brief challenges this position by exploring the attitudes and priorities of Muslim female activists in Sudan. Disunited and politicized, they have multiple and competing priorities rather than a common gender-based agenda.

March 3, 2010
International Crisis Group

Abstract:

As Zimbabwe enters its second year under a unity government, the challenges to democratic transformation have come into sharp focus. Despite reasonable progress in restoring political and social stability, ending widespread repression and stabilising the economy since February 2009, major threats could still derail the reform process. In particular, resistance of intransigent and still powerful security sector leaders and fractious in-fighting between and within the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU-PF) and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) must be addressed now. South Africa and other countries in southern Africa – who monitor the accord that guides the transition – must press the parties, and particularly President Robert Mugabe, to see the transition through to a successful conclusion. But major concerns undermining the transition process have come to the fore. Hardline generals and other Mugabe loyalists in ZANU-PF are refusing to implement the government’s decisions, boycotting the new national security organ and showing public disdain for Tsvangirai. This briefing focuses on political party and security issues, as well as South Africa’s mediation....

March 3, 2010
United Nations Security Council

Abstract:

The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 14 of Security Council resolution 1876 (2009), by which the Council requested me to submit a written report every four months on the progress made in establishing the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) and in implementing the resolution. The report covers developments since my previous report (S/2009/552), dated 22 October 2009 and covering the period until 15 February 2010, with a particular focus on efforts to normalize the functioning of State institutions and on preparations for the national conference designed to promote reconciliation in the country....

March 3, 2010
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces // LIT Verlag

Abstract:

For post-conflict stabilisation and peacebuilding efforts to have a chance of success, security gaps need to be closed. Domestic law enforcement agencies tend to be too weak or unreliable after war to enforce the law and fight serious crime. As a consequence, operations against organised crime, the arrest of suspected war criminals and the protection of minorities depend on international intervention forces. Much attention has been paid to domestic police reform and the problems of deploying international civilian police. This book examines the under-explored role of international military missions in post-conflict law enforcement, with a focus on serious crime. This chapter provides a historical introduction to these issues, in particular into the militarisation of police forces, and discusses their implications and the ongoing trends in modern peace operations....

March 3, 2010
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces // LIT Verlag

Abstract:

The case of Kosovo epitomises problems of governing ‘international protectorates’ and of post-war crime fighting. The empirical picture is a messy one in which numerous international and domestic agencies intermingle in complex ways, often working at cross-purposes. As in Bosnia, military involvement in law enforcement has lacked effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy. This is only partly the fault of NATO – the UN and its member states arguably carry more responsibility. Crime-fighting in pre- and post-independence Kosovo exemplifies flawed security governance, SSG and SSR. The first part of this chapter examines the immediate post-war period. The second part discusses the early years of international governance in Kosovo. The third part reveals the travails of crime-fighting around the time Kosovo declared independence. Drawing primarily on interviews conducted in Kosovo in 2007 and 2008 (and a few in 2006), this third part complements the vast literature on international intervention in Kosovo by focusing on more recent events. The chapter also fills a gap by shedding light on dynamics on the ground, which have been neglected due to the propensity of scholars to focus on the strategic/diplomatic level rather than the operational and tactical levels....

March 9, 2010
Physicians for Human Rights

Abstract:

In recent months Bangladeshi authorities have waged an unprecedented campaign of arbitrary arrest, illegal expulsion, and forced internment against Burmese refugees. In this emergency report Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) presents new data and documents dire conditions for these persecuted Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. PHR's medical investigators warn that critical levels of acute malnutrition and a surging camp population without access to food aid will cause more deaths from starvation and disease if the humanitarian crisis is not addressed....

March 5, 2010
European Council on Refugees and Exiles

Abstract:

This research paper focuses on the European Union funding priorities in four Eastern European countries neighbouring the EU (Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine) for refugee protection, migration management and border reinforcement, which has been completed by the Eastern Europe project funded by the EU's Aeneas programme. The research was undertaken from Autumn 2007 to Spring 2008, with a final update in November 2008. The focus of the research is on EU's funding programmes in 2004-2007.

March 5, 2010
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Abstract:

This map represents the situation in Vanni, Sri Lanka in terms of internally displaced persons, repatriation/ returnees, shelter and non-food assistance and arrivals, as of February 25th, 2010.

March 4, 2010
Security Studies

Abstract:

Why do individuals participate in weak-against-strong resistance, terror, or insurgency? Drawing on rational choice theory, many claim that individuals join insurgent organizations for selfinterested reasons, seeking status, money, protection, or rewards in the afterlife. Another line of research, largely ethnographic and social-network based, suggests that prospective fighters are driven by social identity—they join out of an allegiance to communal values, norms of reciprocity, and an orientation toward process rather than outcome. This article tests these two lines of argument against each other by directly linking values orientations in a refugee camp (Balata Refugee Camp, near Nablus in the Palestinian Territories) to professed willingness to participate in resistance or rebellion in two different contexts. Professed willingness to participate in resistance, and especially in violent rebellion, is positively correlated with communal orientation and negatively correlated with selfenhancement values. The strength of correlation grows—negatively for self-enhancement and positively for communal orientations— as anticipated sacrifice increases....

March 4, 2010
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre // Norwegian Refugee Council

Abstract:

Seven years after the March 2003 US-led invasion, Iraq remains deeply divided. There are few prospects of durable solutions for the approximately 15 per cent of the population who are displaced inside and outside Iraq. It is thought that there are almost 2.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs), close to half of whom were displaced prior to 2003. Though Iraq is no longer in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, daily life for all Iraqis is precarious. The number of civilian casualties fell significantly in 2009 but violence remains endemic. The rate of displacement has fallen with only isolated instances of new displacement. The rate of return of IDPs and refugees did not increase as many had anticipated and no other durable solution for IDPs is promoted by the Iraqi government. Tensions are high in many areas, particularly in the northern governorates of Kirkuk and Ninewa, and there is rising violence in the run-up to national elections taking place in March 2010....

March 5, 2010
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

Abstract:

This article, 'Women, men and gun violence: options for action', forms part of a larger publication on directions for the reduction of small arms control. In this piece the authors emphasise a gender equity approach to reduce risks and bolster resilience to insecurity and violence. A number of issues are explored such as: men, masculinities, and guns: the largest numbers of acts of violence are committed by men; women’s multiple roles: women play multiple roles in times of war and unique roles in the aftermath; national gun laws and consequences for safety: gun laws can have important and positive consequences when analysed from a gender perspective; building gender-aware programmes: policy analysts, researchers and programme planners often speak exclusively to men about finding solutions to security problems....

March 3, 2010
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Abstract:

United Nation member states are currently discussing the feasibility of an arms trade treaty (ATT) which would seek to create better controls on international arms transfers. This Background Paper is one of a series produced by SIPRI to inform these discussions. Military expenditure and arms imports in Europe and Central Asia have increased during the past decade. Military reform and modernization have been offered as justifications for the significant increase in military spending and arms procurement in Eastern Europe, but other factors such as unresolved border disputes, territorial claims and separatism also play a role. Russia, Germany, France and the UK are among the world’s largest arms exporters. European and Central Asian states have contributed to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) via transfers and licensed production. They have also developed national legislation and systems for controlling arms transfers and have made commitments at the regional level to prevent diversions or destabilizing build-ups of SALW....

March 2, 2010
Survivor Corps

Abstract:

Over the past ten years, the world has seen significant developments in what might at first glance seem unrelated fronts: disarmament and human rights. Two disarmament treaties have come into play – the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty (Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction), and the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. In between these treaties came the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted in 2006. In fact, the three treaties are connected in language and spirit. They are linked by their commitment to victim assistance for landmine and cluster munitions survivors, which is grounded in and informed by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Survivor Corps has been at the forefront of connecting the dots between human rights and disarmament, by bringing the voices of landmine survivors to the CRPD negotiation table, and linking victim assistance within the disarmament discourse to the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities. This publication aims to familiarize the readers with the connections between the three treaties in a way that helps enhance the implementation of each one....

February 26, 2010
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Abstract:

To facilitate discussion among the diverse law enforcement, advocacy and research sectors that play roles in surveillance, prevention, and control of trafficking involving Mexico, Central America, and the United States, the CSIS Americas Program convened a one-day meeting on September 24, 2009, at CSIS in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the meeting was to raise awareness of the relationships among arms trafficking, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and wildlife trafficking in the Mesoamerican region; identify similarities and differences in approaches to the organized movement of diverse illegal products in the region; discuss the challenges and opportunities for promoting cooperation not just among law enforcement agencies but also among advocacy groups, technical agencies, and research entities; and articulate recommendations for enhanced cooperation in the future. This report summarizes the views expressed at the meeting....

February 25, 2010
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Abstract:

Described as undemocratic and corrupt, the regime of Idriss Déby, President of Chad, has been characterized by bad governance and found guilty of human rights abuses. Since 2003 the armed forces controlled by Déby have fought various rebel factions of loose and frequently changing composition. The violence in Chad is characterized by intermittent short periods of intense fighting and is closely linked to the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan. In May 2009 violence flared up along and over Chad’s border with Sudan, and Chad and Sudan remain hostile towards each other. A relatively small number of heavy weapons are used in the conflict in Chad and the weapons that are used are not technologically sophisticated. Both government and rebel forces in Chad are comprised mainly of infantry who are armed with SALW and use general-purpose four-by-four vehicles, such as Toyota Land Cruisers, for troop transport. Heavy machine guns and light multiple rocket launchers are often mounted on these vehicles. The government forces also use light armoured vehicles, old tanks, small numbers of armed helicopters and combat aircraft. Tanks and combat aircraft played a significant role in government attacks on rebel forces in 2008 and 2009. Thus, small supplies of major arms or of small arms and light weapons (SALW), such as a few second-hand armed helicopters or a thousand rifles, can have a significant impact on the course and intensity of the conflict. Such weapons may provide sufficient incentive for the recipients of them to try to reach their goals via violence instead of dialogue....

March 9, 2010
The AfPak Channel // Foreign Policy

Abstract:

Confused about the recent slew of arrests and/or deaths of al-Qaeda and Taliban commanders in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Here's a roundup of who, what, where, and when.

March 9, 2010
International Relations and Security Network

Abstract:

New data from centrist Democratic pollsters shows President Barack Obama and the party losing ground on national security with key voters, and they urge him to toughen up his rhetoric on terrorism, but it’s a prescription that ignores an important point the president has been trying to make. The poll, conducted by veteran Democratic political consultants Stan Greenberg and Jeremy Rosner, found that President Obama had strong personal approval ratings among voters in most areas of national security - higher indeed than his approval rating overall, which was 47 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving. Conducted in late February, the poll surveyed 851 adults who voted in 2008 and said they were likely to do so again in 2010. More than half of the likely voters approved of the president’s handling of Afghanistan (58 percent to 37 percent disapproving); national security (57 percent to 40); “leading America’s military” (57 percent to 38); fighting terrorism (54 percent to 41); and Iraq (54 percent to 40). These numbers, though still strong, are down from the 60 percent plus territory they were in when the pollsters ran their survey in May last year. Nonetheless, the president’s approval ratings are currently in negative territory on only two national security issues: Iran (42 percent approving to 49 percent disapproving) and the “prosecution and interrogation of terrorism suspects.”...

March 8, 2010
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Abstract:

[...] Facing comparatively few restrictions, U.S. legal residents and citizens can travel abroad, connect with terrorist groups to gain explosives or weapons training, and return here to plan and execute attacks. Particularly troubling are homegrown extremists who possess facility with both American and foreign cultures, including language skills. Such multi-cultural familiarity could allow them to operate freely both at home and overseas and to elude—far more easily than foreign nationals—U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials. Combating these tendencies requires action at the local, state, and federal levels. Local governments, supported by federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, must continue to build strong partnerships with Muslim communities. This type of cooperation is important because the friends and family of suspected extremists often are the best resources for law enforcement officials. The federal government also must continue to support official partnerships among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Such efforts—embodied in Joint Terrorism Task Forces and fusion centers—are crucial to apprehending domestic extremists because they combine local expertise (knowledge of neighborhoods and communities) with federal expertise (national intelligence and counterterrorism tools) to form a comprehensive approach to the threat. Policymakers and officials at the national level also must address two key issues that play heavily in the five cases discussed here. First, they must consider new ways to interdict the growing trend of “Internet radicalization.” Many of last fall’s suspects connected with transnational terrorist recruiters via the Internet; stopping this sort of activity is crucial to stemming domestic extremism in the United States. Second, several of those arrested last fall seemed to harbor the belief that the United States is at war with Islam. This is a “narrative” that al Qaeda and other global terrorist groups actively promulgate; it holds that U.S. counterterrorism efforts signify a “clash of civilizations” between the West and Islam. The United States must continue to work to puncture this narrative. White House officials already have discarded phrases like “war on radical Islam.” But ultimately, the United States needs to go further than this, because al Qaeda seizes on more than just U.S. rhetoric to galvanize support for its agenda; the group also points to America’s military presence in Muslim countries as evidence for its preferred narrative. The United States, then, should consider how to balance the need to combat global terrorism with the drawbacks of large-scale, direct military intervention. Doing so will require the United States to forge stronger partnerships with states plagued by extremist violence....

March 5, 2010
Fafo

Abstract:

Islamic private schools are part of the national fabric of Palestinian society and represent a grass-roots movement that is not about assuming power over the state or recruiting 'Islamic militants.' Instead, their function is to assert the role of Islam in contributing to Palestinian national development, a function that may or may not be politicised but is neither dramatic nor sinister. In fact, they may be seen as important contributions to building a viable civil society in Palestine. However, the struggle between Fatah and Hamas for political power, as along with international counterterrorism measures, has seriously affected a number of Islamic charities and the schools they run. The result is economic problems and a weakening of these institutions in Palestinian society. Based on empirical study of local Islamic private schools in the West Bank and Gaza, this report analyses their activities and relation to Islamism. This fills a gap in literature about Islamic movements, where education is often mentioned, but seldom taken seriously or studied in detail....

March 5, 2010
The Jamestown Foundation // Terrorism Monitor

Abstract:

Yemen has become one of the most important strongholds and safe havens for al-Qaeda. The impact of Yemen’s Salafi-Jihadist movement is no longer limited to that nation and its national security alone. The threat posed by Yemen’s militant Salafists has spread to neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia and more distantly to the United States, as indicated by the failed Christmas Day suicide bombing of a Northwest Airways passenger plane by Nigerian Umar al-Faruq Abd al-Mutalib, who received his training in Yemen. Given the pivotal role that Yemen’s militant Islamists are playing as a host for al-Qaeda and a magnet for jihadis from abroad, this article seeks to analyze the structure of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and identify the social and ideological structures that led to its success...